Mycenae

What makes it special

The Lion Gate is the ceremonial entrance to the citadel. In the triangle over the door, two lions face each other in relief, a symbol of the power of the Mycenaean rulers. The triangle is a gap left in the wall to take weight off the stone beam below; the lion slab fills it.

Legend credits the huge walls to the Cyclopes, which is why the stonework is called Cyclopean.

Grave Circle A is a royal cemetery of six large shaft graves, which held gold objects and other works of art. At the northeast corner, a corbelled passage runs down outside the walls to an underground cistern about 18 metres below, cut through the rock and fed from a spring so the citadel had water in a siege.

The Treasury of Atreus stands on Panagitsa hill. A long passage lined with cut conglomerate blocks leads to a round chamber more than 13 metres high, under a pointed stone dome.

A single lintel stone of about 120 tonnes sits over its door. The tomb is also called the Tomb of Agamemnon, though it most probably belonged to neither Atreus nor Agamemnon, and little of what it held survives.

Visiting

Past the museum on the left, the main path turns uphill toward the Lion Gate. Stop at the gate long enough to look up at the relief before you go through.

Inside, the Granary stands on the right, with Grave Circle A just south of it. A broad ramp then climbs from the gate to the palace on the summit, the biggest stop on the hill.

Back outside the Lion Gate, Grave Circle B lies to the west, with fourteen shaft graves. The Treasury of Atreus is a short walk or drive further south down the main road, with its own entrance and ticket check.

Tips

There is little shade on the hill, so carry water and wear a hat and sunscreen. Shoes with a good tread help too, because polished stone can be slick.

Ask at the ticket office whether the cistern stairway is open. If it is, the steps are narrow and cut into the rock, so bring a light and watch your footing.

The museum is air-conditioned, so save it for the hottest part of the day. Card payment is usually accepted at the ticket office, but carry some cash as a backup.